Peanut Butter/Chocolate Oatmeal Bars

Oatmeal Bars (With PB and Chocolate)

.... can you tell I don't have an official name for these? It doesn't matter though.... they are so good they speak for themselves and therefore do not need a title.

Cookie

3/4 C Butter

1/2 C Sugar

3/4 C Brown Sugar

2 Eggs

1 1/2 T Vanilla

3/4 t Baking Soda

1 1/2 C Flour

1 1/4 C Roll Oats

Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 25 minutes. ( You will probably want to check it at 15 or 20 minutes and do the "toothpick test").

Spread Peanut Butter over it like you would icing on a cake (you can put it in either fresh out of the oven or after it cooled)

Next, spread the chocolate icing over the top:

Chocolate Icing

1 Stick Melted Butter

3 t Baking Cocoa

1/3 C Sour Cream

1 t Vanilla

1 lb (about 3 3/4 C) Powdered Sugar

(You can skip the sour cream if you want... just add lib some milk) If the icing is too thin, you can add more powdered sugar or if it is too thick, you can add milk

Richie's Orange Chicken

I know all you girls are sad about the fact that there's not a Panda Express around for miles like me!!! If you are having a craving for the orange chicken, here's a recipe that can help ya out. it does take quite a while to make though so make sure you have about an hour to prepare. We just bought a small fryer though and that makes the chicken nice and crispy.

Ingredients:

2 Lbs boneless skinless chicken, chopped into bite sized pieces

1 Egg

1 1/2 Tsp salt

White pepper

(oil for frying)

1/2 C Cornstarch, plus

1 Tbs Cornstarch

1/4 C Flour

1 Tbs Ginger root, minced

1 Tsp Garlic, minced

1/2 Tsp Crushed hot red chili pepper

1/4 C Green onion, chopped

1/4 C Citrus juice (orange or grapefruit)

1/2 Tsp Sesame oil

Orange Sauce for Stir Fry:

1 1/2 Tbs Soy Sauce

1 1/2 Tbs Citrus juice (orange or grapefruit)

5 Tbs Sugar

Zest of an orange

Directions:

1. Place chicken pieces in large bowl

2. Stir in egg, salt, pepper, and 1 Tbs of oil and mix well

3. Stir cornstarch and flour together

4. Add chicken pieces, stirring to coat

5. Heat oil for deep-frying in wok or deep-fryer to 375 degrees

6. Add chicken, small batches at a time, and fry 3 to 4 minutes or until golden crisp

7. Remove chicken from oil with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels; set aside

8. Clean wok and heat 15 seconds over high heat

9. Add 1 Tbs oil

10. Add ginger and garlic and stir-fry until fragrant; about 10 seconds

11. Add and stir-fry crushed chiles and green onions

12. Add Orange Sauce and bring to boil

13. Add cooked chicken, stirring until well mixed

14. Stir citrus juice (orange or grapefruit) into remaining 1 Tbs cornstarch until smooth adn add to chicken

15. Heat until sauce is thickened

16. Stir in orange zest

17. Serve over rice

Sorry no picture, the next time he makes it I'll try to get a picture. Trust me though, it's delicious.

Banana Cake

I got this recipe from my Friends Blog

It is the same blog where I found my favorite browned butter cookies.

Banana Cake

1 1/2 cups bananas, mashed, very ripe
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, softened
2 1/8 cups sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Directions

-Preheat oven to 275°.
-Grease and flour a 9 x 13 pan or bundt pan.
-In a small bowl, mix mashed banana with the lemon juice; set aside.
-In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
-In a large bowl, cream 3/4 cup butter and 2 1/8 cups sugar until light and fluffy.
-Beat in eggs, one at a time, then stir in 2 tsp vanilla.
-Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk.
-Stir in banana mixture.
-Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated 275 F. degree oven.
Check it in about one hour (my 9x13 took closer to 1 1/2 hours, and I heated the oven to 290 because I was getting impatient), Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
-Remove from oven and place directly into the freezer for 45 minutes. This will make the cake soooooo moist and easy to frost.

* I dont know how my friend does it but I take the cake out of the pan and wrap in plastic wrap before I put it in the freezer. I do this whenever I bake any cake because I love moist cakes!

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese , softened but still cool
5 tablespoons unsalted butter softened, but still cool
1 tablespoon sour cream
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar (4 1/2 ounces)
milk

* I did this amount of frosting for book club, and I didn't feel like it was enough. When I brought it to institute I doubled this recipe and I thought it was perfect, but I LOVE frosting. I also didn't add any milk.

Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl with a hand mixer until smooth. Icing will be thick. Spread on the cake as is or add additional milk by the tablespoons until it is a consistency you like. Spread on cooled cake.

Amazing Bread

This is the bread I made for institute the other day. I got several requests for the recipe! It makes two loaves and is really is easy to whip up. Plan ahead though, the entire process takes about 2.5 hours (most of the time spent waiting for the bread to rise and bake :)).


1/2 cup hot water
2 T. yeast
1 T. sugar

--Mix all 3 ingredients in a bowl and wait a few minutes (the mixture should get frothy--that's how you know the yeast is working).

--Then add:
2 cups warm water
2 T. sugar
1 T. salt
1/3 cup oil
approx. 7 cups flour (I actually did 6 1/2 cups the other day when i made it)

-- Mix all the ingredients together. I like to mix in as much flour as I can with a spoon and then knead in the last bit by hand. The dough should be soft and pliable. Roll in into a ball and let it rise in a bowl for about an hour or until double in size. Grease and cornmeal a cookie sheet.

--Divide the dough in half and shape into loaves. Use a sharp knife and gently slice 3 shallow slits across the top of the loaves (like you'd see on french bread--it makes it look pretty). Place the loaves on the cookie sheet and let them rise for an hour or until double in size.

--Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees or until golden brown. Take out of the oven and butter the tops. This bread tastes best the first day.

Roasted-Veggie "PotPie" Turnovers

I found this recipe and tried it this week and it was a good one!  I made mine with chicken and didn't buy veggies from the deli but bought a frozen steamfresh bag of carrots, squash, zucchini, and red pepper.  I didn't realize it was in an oil sauce until after I cooked them so I just washed it off before adding the other ingredients.  Simple and delish!

2 packages refrigerated pie-crust dough
3 cups deli-prepared roasted veggies (if using chicken cut veggie amount in half)
1 can condensed cream soup (chicken, broccoli, or mushroom)
1-2 grilled chicken breasts chopped up (optional)

Preheat oven to 425.

Unroll dough and trim each to form a 10-inch square, then cute each into 4 squares for a total of 8.

Combine veggies, soup, and chicken and salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon vegetable filling onto the diagonal half of each square; fold dough over filling and seal edges with a fork.  Place turnovers on a foil-lined cookie sheet (easy clean up) brush with lightly beaten egg and cut a slit in top to vent steam.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.  Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Honey Chicken

I have been trying to get this recipe just right for a while now. The flavor has always been good but I finally got the chicken so moist and yummy. The key is to NOT cut down on the butter. It seems like a lot but the butter in the sauce keep the chicken moist. I like to serve this chicken with either rice or potatoes (mashed would be good or baked). The sauce is oh so yummy poured over the top of either one. Enjoy.

Honey Chicken

4 Chicken Breast
1 Tsp. Mustard
1/2 Cup Honey
1 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp. Curry
1 CUBE butter (sounds like a lot but the chicken needs that moisture. Plus you take the chicken out of the sauce to eat it...and you don't have to use the sauce if you are worried about those butter calories :)

Melt butter and honey together. Add salt, mustard and curry and mix. Pour mixture over chicken and bake for 40 minutes. Turn the chicken over about 20 minutes into baking.

Enjoy!

Browned Butter Cookies

I got this recipe from a friend's blog, made them on Saturday, and decided they were so good I had to share on this blog.

From one blog to another!

Recipe found on justcookalready.com

2 sticks butter, softened

1 cup sugar

Pinch of salt

3 egg yolks

1 ½ teaspoon soda

1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/3 cups flour

Beat the butter and sugar together. Add the egg yolks and salt. Then add the soda and the extract. Fold in the flour. Stir until combined. Form balls the size of walnuts. Chill dough balls for 1 hour in the refrigerator. Dip the top in sugar. Press flat with the bottom of a glass and place on an un-greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes until lightly golden. Don't over cook. Remove from oven and let the cookies stand for 1 minute on the cookie sheet. Remove to a wire rack and cool completely. Frost with browned butter frosting (listed below)

Browned Butter Frosting

1 stick butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 cups powdered sugar

½ cup heavy cream or more desired consistency

(I wanted really think icing so I could swirl them like the photo so I used more sugar)

In a small skillet, brown butter over medium heat until golden brown flecks appear. Butter will become a little foamy. Stir now and then to make sure the butter cooks evenly. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Add powdered sugar, vanilla and cream. Beat on medium high until a creamy texture to your liking forms. Spread onto cooled butter crinkles.

I am going to make them for book club on the 15th, so you can all try them!